Follow me through my at-home chemical peels: see photos, read my stories, learn about peels and recovery, know what to expect from AHA, BHA, TCA, and other chemical peels to improve acne, acne scars, fine lines, sun spots, age spots, oily skin, freckles, sun damage, and wrinkles. I am neither a doctor nor a licensed esthetician. Use chemical peels at your own risk, and remember that my experience should not take the place of professional advice.

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Large Mole Removal with TCA Peel - Part 1

For those of you who are not accustomed to seeing large, irregular moles, this series may not be for you! You have been warned...

I have a guest reader who contributed a series of photos and information that records the removal of a large mole using TCA chemical peels. She wanted to share this because she said she's been so embarrassed about this mole for years, and wants others to know how she did it without surgery. The doctors she's seen have only recommended surgical removal, which meant stitches (on her cheek), so she's been doing a series of TCA peels to remove the mole.

The mole was quite large:

Dime-sized irregular mole

She has had a recent biopsy of the mole, so there are no concerns with cancer. After seeing her initial photos, I have to admit that I was concerned--because it seemed to fit so many of the criteria of the ABCs associated with malignant melanoma:

Asymmetry
Asymmetry can be assessed by comparing one half of the growth to the other half to determine if the halves are equal in size; unequal or asymmetric moles are suspicious.Border
If the mole's border is irregular, notched, scalloped, or indistinct, it is more likely to be cancerous (or precancerous) and is thus suspicious. Color
Variation of color (e.g., more than one color or shade) within a mole is a suspicious finding. Different shades of browns, blues, reds, whites, and blacks are all concerning. Diameter
Any mole that has a diameter larger than a regular pencil's eraser in size (> 6 mm) should be considered suspicious.Elevation
If a mole is elevated, or raised from of the skin, it should be considered suspicious.

Knowing that her biopsy showed a non-suspicious mole, she began a series of TCA chemical peels. She said when she suggested it to her dermatologist, he spoke with her about doing it himself, but the cost was prohibitive, and since the mole was not malignant, her insurance wouldn't cover what would be classified as a cosmetic procedure (that is so irritating).

She purchased the Dermalure 50% TCA Chemical Peel that I have displayed to the right and decided to just take the plunge with that strength, using a cotton swap to apply the solution.